


take me home

by planetgenz



Category: Riverdale (TV 2017)
Genre: Abuse, Death, Drama, F/F, Fluff, Lesbian, Murder, Romance, Scaring, Smut, Therapy, Trauma, Violence, choni, future 7 year time jump, kidnap, split personality
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-01
Updated: 2020-10-01
Packaged: 2021-03-07 20:02:39
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,499
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26743321
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/planetgenz/pseuds/planetgenz
Summary: the girl is like a snapshot out of time. cheryl can see toni's chestnut brown hair with rose gold highlights blowing in the spring breeze with her youthful face turned toward the sun. she cannot be tamed in that purple flannel shirt, dark ripped jeans and scuffed shoes. bombshell knew she could be anyone, no-one. but to her, toni is the world itself and without her, cheryl bombshell cannot enjoy a simple flower or the rising sun.-there is nothing cheryl wouldn't do to keep toni safe from harm.
Relationships: Cheryl Blossom/Toni Topaz
Comments: 4
Kudos: 33





	take me home

**Author's Note:**

> disclaimer: reader discretion is advised. this fanfic can be extremely damaging to people with mental health issues. dealing with dark choni alternate universe. i do not own the rights to any (song) names/persons mentioned in this story. this is a fictitious representation of events. uses are for entertainment purposes only. all credits to archie comics cast/characters represented..

**-**

the early morning sunlight, soft and diffuse, gave way to the first strong rays of the day. the ones that bring true warmth upon delicate pale skin and makes the flowers bloom boldly beneath the mist. the spring was now well advanced and had sprinkled the meadows with flowers.

"nana? _nana rose,_ the caregiver is here!"

the slight thumping sound of mary janes could be heard around the garden as **cheryl** skipped down the stone stairs of thistle house. she followed the path of tiny pebbles leading to her grandmothers garden, where she found the old lady sitting soundly in her wheel chair.

a head of white hair with its signature cherry red stripe came into view as cheryl saw the woman already bundled up in a thick fur coat and blanket thrown over her legs.

"nana rose, _martha_ is here for your 7:30am routine."

the old woman didn't respond - not that she usually did - as she continued to pluck the freshly grown roses from a bush. gardeners tool in her left hand, as a glove covered right one held the bush.. the sharp sniping of the flower branch could be heard. nana rose gently sat the flower onto her lap, reaching up and going for another one just as she spoke up.

"isn't the spring just lovely, cheryl?"

her frail voice hit cheryl's ears, the young girl watching her nana continue to pick roses.

cheryl breathed in the smell of fresh rain permeating the cool air. the breeze was quite refreshing to cheryl, with the touch of a pleasant smell of the damp trees and fresh flowers around her. she loved the spring, it's newfound greenery and birds chirping chirpier than usual.

"it is, nana." cheryl responded in a soft voice. "the spring is _jay-jay,_ and i's birthday."

nana rose nodded, holding a rose up. cheryl retrieved the flower from her grandmothers shaking hand, careful not to cut herself as she gently placed the rose up to her nose to take a whiff. the smell was stimulating to her brain, almost soothing.

"are you ready to go in now?"

"yes, dear."

cheryl nodded her head, taking a few steps to stand behind her nana as she placed her foot onto the pedals to unlock the back wheels before proceeding to push her nana towards the house. nana rose had greeted the female caregiver upon arrival in the living room as cheryl went to change the channel to the usual black and grey old films from the 1950s that her grandmother enjoyed to watch. she sat silently, looking on as martha sat down a bowl of newly fresh, steaming hot maple oatmeal with cut up strawberries onto her nana's food table. a glass of tea to her right and a small paper cup of pills next to it.

seeing her nana rose take her pills reminded cheryl to eat her own daily medication, but she had yet to pick up a new package - not that she was looking forward to it anyways.

"im off to school now, nana." cheryl leaned down to peck her cheek.

cheryl left the house, waltzing over to her brothers car that she inherited after his death. the car came to life beneath her, it's motor quite and unnerving as it drove smoothly down the slick roads in the mostly despondent town of riverdale where cheryl found herself pulling into the already crowded parking lot of riverdale high school.

she sat for a moment, eyes trained on the steering wheel as her thoughts were stuck on what this day would become. she wasn't quite popular at school - not like her brother _jason._ everyone liked him, adorned him.. blew a compliment right out of his ass as if he was some walking god.

but cheryl knew he was the better twin. the statement had been thrown back into her face numerous times, wether it be by her parents.. other family members.. or the kids at school. he was top tier, and cheryl wasn't - although they were born with the same wealthy status. maybe it was her quietness that threw everyone off, or the fact that she didn't dress like the typical rich girl. hell, even her hair was a signature color.. yet people still found it odd atop her head - as if it didn't belong there, and she was just lucky enough to inherit it.

sighing, cheryl willed the thoughts away and got out the car.. choosing to keep her head down with her hands firmly gripping her backpack straps as she hurried through the open field and up the steps leading to school.

it was bad enough that she hadn't been taking her medication, and cheryl feared that one wrong move was going to have her wallowing in a fit of hysteria before first period even began.

she stopped at her locker - the one she was bullied into having because her original one was by the vending machine, so the kid deemed it easier access. the one she had now was fine, it was closer to her first period and the counselors office whenever she needed a fast getaway.

one like now - where she didn't see it coming but felt it anyways as her locker was slammed shut abruptly and suddenly, her shoulder was pressing tight into the row of lockers behind her. cheryl spazzed for a moment, practically screaming bloody murder and gaining attention from other students.

"oh, you weren't expecting me?"

cheryl took a deep breath at that voice. a sickly feminine voice that has tormented cheryl for _years_ now: **veronica.**

the dark-haired girl had been best friends to jason ever since she transferred to riverdale from new york almost three years ago. always playing sweet around their family, or jason alone and then showing her true colors when it was just them or the whole school watching. veronica's flashy rich lifestyle instantly made her popular amongst the others, and the latina had no problem squeezing her way through the top to get in on the teasing of cheryl blossom. now, she was reigning supreme, captain of the cheerleading team and class president even though her bullying didn't just stop at cheryl - no - it travelled through anybody and anyone she deemed unfit.

"i-.."

cheryl felt the tears start to peak at her eyes, the stabbing metal of the locker digging into her flesh as veronica's posse held her into place.

"p-please, i don't wa-.."

looking at the tears beginning to run down cheryl's red cheeks, veronica smirked.

"save those tears for later, princess." she quipped. "this was merely just a reminder."

_re-reminder for what?!_ cheryl found herself questioning, though she really didn't need to know the answer. veronica was just out and in the open in that kind of way.

"let the lesbian go boys." she demanded, taking a step back with folded arms.

the two guys put a little extra force into letting her go, though cheryl didn't move from her spot against the lockers. she was too busy trying to regulate her breathing, ignoring the stares she got from the students - knowing they were just whispering harsh things or just laughing at her - not an ounce of remorse or sorrow. just happy that it wasn't them.

"see you then." veronica waved, smiling sweetly though there was nothing sweet about her.

cheryl turned into her locker again as quickly as it took for veronica to skip down the hallway in her six inch heels to meet up with her friends.

the lump in cheryl's throat started to disappear.

_"i would've beaten her ass!"_ came a voice.

clear as day. sickly sweet and feminine, like veronica's yet this one was extremely taunting.

hurriedly, cheryl snapped her head to one side and there standing in front of her was.. _her._ it was her hair, her eyes, her chest, her legs. cheryl wanted to scream and jump away, though she'd probably fall over in the process and make an even bigger fool of herself. instead, cheryl gripped the edge of her locker a little tighter than necessary, while _her_ remained unbothered.

her heart raced at the scare, pumping more blood than it was used to after days of near immobility. she could hear the staccato thump in her ears. she was as afraid as she'd ever been.

"i need my pills." cheryl whispered aloud to herself. "fuck, she's not supposed to be here."

_"oh, don't be so dramatic."_ she scoffed.

cheryl dropped her head a little further into the locker, trying to hide her face from those with peering eyes as she took slow deep breaths in through her nose and out through her mouth.

"c-can you just please go away." cheryl asked quietly, almost afraid to. "please."

she steeled herself to relax, counting to ten before she opened her eyes again, and waited a few extra seconds to give her brain enough time to rid itself of that fact that she's back and most likely ready to cause chaos.

when she opened them, _bad her_ was gone.. and cheryl sighed, a little more surprised than relieved at the fact that she managed to get _her_ to leave without as much of a fight.

"are you okay?"

cheryl snapped her head to the left, and there she was. **toni topaz.** standing beside her in all her glory. a worried, yet soft look upon her baby face that has the redhead swooning over being noticed by the small girl. that is, until cheryl froze noticing the fading purple bruise under her right eye and a few scratches on her chin.

immediately cheryl felt her blood start to boil.

"oh my gosh!" she screeched. "toni, your face!"

toni winced, the sound of cheryl's cries ranging in her ears like a ticking time bomb.

"oh, t-this is nothing." toni pointed to her bruises.

cheryl's eyebrows softened, her mouth parting as an inaudible whimper left her mouth. the expression didn't go unnoticed by toni, who immediately felt bad for having startled the sensitive girl and it hasn't even been first period yet.

"no! no, cheryl.. this-.. this is from um, this is from street fighting! yea, street fighting! y'know, with the ghoulies and all."

cheryl knew she was lying, her bruises were different than the actual ones she's gotten from street fighting with that other gang in riverdale and on those days, the serpents usually refrained from coming to school. now, all cheryl saw was red. she hated toni's family. the ones being her _mother_ and _father,_ who abused the girl more often than they loved her. so instead, those _nasty serpents_ made it seem like her beaten up state was some kind of joke or publicity stunt.

_fucking assholes!_

"cheryl?" toni whispered firmly.

it was then that cheryl realized she'd been starring, or maybe it was the internal panic cheryl felt once she realized toni might've seen her become a total _nutshell_ and _talk to herself._

cheryl quickly looked away. toni's beauty was sometimes intimidating to her, not because cheryl wanted to be her or felt jealous - but because toni was one in a million, she was just beautiful in that kind of way. and cheryl hated the fact that toni was usually left unprotected in a group full of people who'd sworn to always protect her.

no matter what.

_no matter what._ truthfully, if cheryl ever had the chance she'd kill them all. poison them with their own venom, or use her fathers shotgun on every last one of them _dirty reptiles_ for hurting her _beloved, tt._

she's suddenly reminded that it's wednesday. the best day of the week, in her opinion because she knows that on wednesday, her and toni share two classes. though cheryl sits in the front while toni and her band of _ragamuffins_ take on the back rows off to far left, but cheryl's still able to take a glance at the girl who _stole_ her heart junior year, and refused to give it back.

it was toni's now, and cheryl would allow the pinkette to do anything she wanted with it.

"i-.. im fine." cheryl whispered back. "thank you. s-sorry about your fight."

"yea, it's cool." toni responded, shutting her locker and quickly walking away.

cheryl sighed contently. _she talked to me, again._ it was one of the many things cheryl found herself loving about toni. the girl was an enigma, different from the rest much like cheryl. but she was more of a badass than cheryl would ever be.

_toni._ with her brown eyes, tan skin and pink chapped lips.

_toni._ with her brown hair, pink highlights and natural face.

_toni._ with her creative clothing style and badass persona.

_toni..._ the serpent girl.

toni was all cheryl thought about on a day to day basis. often times, cheryl found herself smiling whenever said girl did something adorable, like crinkle her nose whenever she laughed too hard at a joke told by her friends or scrunched her face up while muttering a few curse words over what today's lunch would be.

_"shitty, unseasoned bullshit."_ the serpent girl would huff.

cheryl would give toni an apple, or a bag of freshly picked fruits and watch the girl take the first bite just so she knew toni was being taken care of.

but that was only part of the reason cheryl brought spare fruit for toni; it was the content moan erupting from within her throat; something effective to cheryl that she replayed the sound over and over again in her head during those late and lonely nights. and when cheryl touched herself, she imagined it was the pinkette making her writher in ecstasy while silencing her moans with a sweet or rough kiss before they lay there in bliss after cheryl had returned the favor.

_"are you done?"_ cheryl looked to her right again.

"you're not supposed to be here." she whispered harshly.

_"well i am, and who's fault is that?"_

cheryl cursed under her breath. of course _**bombshell**_ just had to throw that right back in her face, manipulating her with the fact.

"you need to leave, okay. please." cheryl pleaded.

_bombshell_ hummed. ruby red lips pressed together. _"not a chance, freak."_

cheryl furrowed her eyebrows at the term, though she should've expected it from _bombshell,_ she was just like veronica. only meaner, with an impressive way of demanding control even when she doesn't call for it. and sometimes, cheryl wishes she could be _bombshell._ with her expensive designer clothing, red lips, luscious hair, smooth skin, and attitude. but she wasn't - and she never will be.

_"you're ruining **MY** chances with, toni." bombshell_ said. _"she's not going to want you if you keep acting like a damn depraved loser."_

"that's not true." cheryl whimpered. "she talked to me again today."

_bombshell_ scoffed. "yea, because she feels sorry for you."

cheryl exhaled deeply, wondering if _bombshell_ knew just how effective her words were. though, she had a pretty good idea that _bombshell_ did, and cheryl just knew that _that_ was the main reason as to why she kept using them against her.

as cheryl went to speak again, the deafening sound of the school bell rang overhead. cheryl cursed, having been late to first period all because _bombshell_ had stopped to chat in the hallway like she didn't know cheryl valued her perfect attendance and no tardiness record. cheryl followed the rowdy crowd of teenagers through the narrow hallways, but instead of going to her first period she took a detour towards the girls bathroom, checking to see if anyone else was in there.

_"did you see the bruise on her face?" bombshell_ asked, her voice dropping an octave so it appeared deeper. cheryl nodded. _"it seems as if they're becoming a little more bold."_

_bombshell_ slammed her fist into the wall in frustration. _"i have to save her. cheryl, **WE** have to save her."_

"i don't know how!"

_"do something! anything!"_ _bombshell_ cried, and it was the first time cheryl had ever seen the girl so out of character.

_bombshell_ wasn't a crier, hell she barely showed any emotion.

"i can't do anything, _bombshell."_ cheryl responded. "you said it yourself, toni doesn't want me!"

the tears burst forward like water from a dam, spilling down _bombshell's_ face. cheryl can feel the muscles of her chin tremble like a small child and she looks toward the tiled wall, as if tracing the patterns would soothe her.

there is static in cheryl's head once more, the side effect of this constant fear - constant stress and _burden_ she lives with.

cheryl can hear her own cries, like a distressed child - raw emotion spilling from the inside.

_"please, cheryl!" bombshell_ wails. mascara streaking down her face, puffy red eyes and pink cheeks. _"w-we have to save, toni. we have to save her before.."_

_bombshell_ trails off. like she's afraid to finish the rest of her sentence, and cheryl already knows what she's thinking. it takes something out of cheryl that she didn't know she had left to give. but she guesses that's the way it is for people like her.

".. before they kill her."

_bombshell_ sniffles, nodding her head as she wiped away her mascara before looking towards cheryl in this way that the girl can't decipher.

_"we should meet at the rivers edge of sweetwater to discuss a plan."_

cheryl nods, agreeing with _bombshell._ "is tonight okay?"

_bombshell_ straightens back up, looking into the mirror as she composed herself. cheryl watched as she fixed her hair, touched up her makeup and smoothed her hands down her clothes.

_"yes, the usual time."_

cheryl went to say something, but the rapid knocking on the school's bathroom door had her jumping out of her skin as she scrambled to unlock the door and push pass whoever it was sent to ruin her conversation with _bombshell._

the day passed on just as it started: _quiet._ cheryl loved the quiet days, the ones of still movement and limited noises.she loved the random sounds that came sailing in the breeze; the birdsong that comes so sweetly during her lunch time as she looks on.

the girl is like a snapshot out of time. cheryl can see toni's chestnut brown hair with rose gold highlights blowing in the spring breeze with her youthful face turned towards the sun. she cannot be tamed in that purple flannel shirt, dark ripped jeans and scuffed shoes.

_bombshell_ knew she could be anyone, no-one. but to her, toni is the world itself and without her, cheryl _bombshell_ cannot enjoy a simple flower or the rising sun.

she has to save her..

so as the night turns black, it burns away the drabness of the day, the clock in and the clock out, the mechanized life, robotic and cold.

cheryl sat upon the wet rocks, a distant memory in her mind about the place that she clearly wants to escape. the air is cold around her now, whipping at her body just as the water once whipped at her.

_"oh good. you're here."_

"of course i am." cheryl stood up. "i said i'd help you."

_bombshell_ nodded her head. _"i have a plan, but it's going to require some help - specifically **YOUR** help."_

cheryl took notice of _bombshell’s_ attire. her face free of makeup with her hair thrown up into a bun. black combat boots, black jeans, and a black turtleneck as she held a black duffel bag.

"what's in the bag." cheryl questioned, completely unfazed by _bombshell's_ creep attire.

_bombshell_ rolled her eyes. "just a few things to help us."

cheryl quipped an eyebrow, the word _"us."_ sounding a little more strained than usual. but then again, when wasn't it? _bombshell_ always strained her words when asking for help - like she physically couldn't phantom the thought of having a partner. cheryl opened her mouth to speak when the sudden snap of a tree branch alerted her. she spun around on the rocks, turning every which direction to figure out where the source had come from.

_"she should be here at any moment." bombshell_ whispered, startling cheryl a bit.

"she?" cheryl furrowed her eyebrows. "w-who are you talking about?"

another snap of a tree branch startled cheryl again. and cheryl stood up a bit firmer, hand placed over her forehead as she attempted to gaze into the black night. the tree branches snap again, and cheryl moved a bit further off the rocks. she's not ready to die today, yet she really wouldn't mind it - at least she wouldn't have to deal with veronica and her goons for the next 30 years or so, but she wouldn’t leave her nana or _toni_ without an explanation.

cheryl jumped at the sudden rumbling of a motor in the distance and she squints at the flashing headlights blinding her vision. soon, the motor comes to a stop - the lights turning off, the engine clicking into place - and a figure moves off the motorcycle.

"cheryl?!"

from the shadows comes a form, and cheryl immediately knows it's toni from the strong strides that almost look like a superhero walk after a long day of fighting off their toughest battles.

_it's toni! she's come for me!_

though the thought quickly dissipates as fast as it came, and cheryl found herself asking; _why would toni come for me?_

_bombshell_ always said toni thought she was a freak. like on the days where everyone is stuck frozen in place and watching veronica humiliate her, that toni could see just how much of a useless child she was.

"cheryl?" toni calls again. "cheryl, hey.. i didn't know you came to the rocks."

cheryl is stuck frozen in place. her throat dry, heart thumping loudly in her ears and her hands feel clammy.

"cheryl?" toni says. "cheryl? hey! you there?"

_"speak up you dumb bitch!"_

_bombshell_ snaps cheryl out of her dilemma, and cheryl can see just how magnificent toni looks in the light. it's like the moonlight is reflecting off of her gorgeous tan skin and casting a deep hue of light brown over her body.

"i-im sorry, toni." cheryl whispered. "i didn't know you'd be here."

_"of course you did idiot." bombshell_ patronizes. _"it's why we chose this place first."_

"what?" cheryl said.

toni furrowed her brows. "i didn't say anything."

_"oh fuck!"_

"r-right." cheryl nodded. "sorry."

toni sighed, the sound seemingly frustrated in cheryl's ears. she subtly watched on as toni turned towards the flowing river before them, eyes squinted in the night so she'd get a good view of the water running over the rocks as salmon fish jumped about. there's a nice and comfortable silence between them, nothing but the rushing river, bats squeaking and the occasional insects in their ears.

"i come here to think." toni suddenly says, voice raspy like she hasn't used it in days. "it helps clear my head."

_"look at how pretty she is, cheryl." bombshell_ whispers in her ear, and cheryl shivers. _"so perfect."_

cheryl blinked.

toni noticed the girl fidgeting, so she turns to cheryl with a raised eyebrow, amused eyes traveling across her dark frame. "why all black? you look like your about to rob someone."

cheryl frowns, looking down at her outfit to see that she is wearing.. black boots, black pants, and a black turtleneck.

"and what's with the duffle bag? you really do look like your about to become the next cat burglar." toni chuckled.

cheryl registers the weight holding her right side down, and she takes a peak at the black duffle bag that is indeed in her hand. her frown deepens, _did bombshell just give me this?_ she questions, because how the hell did she get this. it was just in _bombshell’s_ hand, _bombshell_ is wearing the exact same clothes as her. _what the hell is happening?!_

_"duh, we're here to save toni, dumbass!" bombshell_ whispered harshly.

_but she doesn't need saving, she's fine._ cheryl thought, to which _bombshell_ only scoffed to.

_"tell that to the bruises on her face, and probably all over her body too."_

cheryl sunk back into herself as she listened to _bombshell_ talk about the constant abuse toni goes through while at home - though it wasn't just at home, she suffered at the hands of those _no good criminals._ groping and grabbing her like she was some kind of object that they could sit down and play with over - and over and over - again. her family made it worse, screaming and yelling at her that she was a _fuck up_ just like the rest of them.

how toni managed to keep an honest soul baffles cheryl _bombshell_ 'til this day.

"hey, you've gone quiet.. what're you thinkin' about?"

cheryl snapped her head towards toni with wide eyes, thinking that the girl she has a crush on just saw her go crazy.

"uh.. n-nothing."

toni crossed her arms, a knowing look on her face and wow cheryl _bombshell_ thinks she couldn't look even better.

"uh huh?" toni hummed. "so what brings you down to the rocks, especially so late at night - cat burglaring? you don't have any goons hiding out in the bushes, right?"

_"nope, just bombshell."_

cheryl gritted her teeth and silently told bombshell to shut up before she ruins this once in a lifetime chance with toni.

"i-i come here to t-think, too." it was brief, but it was enough.

cheryl didn't want to go into full detail as to why she was down on the rivers edge so late at night, plus.. she doesn't think she'll give her honest reason for it anyways.

toni nodded her head. "it's kinda a safe place for me, y'know. southside trouble - gotta keep a sane head."

_"nows our chance!"_

_huh?!_

"what kind of trouble - if you don't mind me asking." cheryl shrugged.

_"good question!"_

toni shook her head, waving a dismissive hand. "too much trouble if i do say so myself."

_"we have to save her, cheryl."_

toni chuckled, kicking up a rock. "i actually come here to read these."

cheryl frowned, looking at toni pull a piece of paper out from her serpent jacket. it was a manila paper, folded neatly. cheryl knew that paper all well, she and _bombshell_ had spent some time writing it before stuffing it into toni's locker just before school let out the day before today. it was always at perfect timing where no one was left in school to see her.

cheryl swallowed thickly. "c-can you read it?"

_"seriously, cheryl?" bombshell_ grumbled, crossing her arms. _"we already know what's in there."_

"i-.." toni stammered, then shrugged. "sure."

cheryl heard the sound of the seal ripping open, before toni unfolded the paper then turning it around to the right side.

"it says: _dear lover, from under your long brown bangs shone eyes the color of deep golden honey, and below that a nose so small and sleek that the brown tiny mole above the upper lip of your smile is warm with a hint of shyness, though still cocky. i think i love you, already."_

"that's quite lovely." cheryl breathed.

toni nodded, smiling lightly. "yea, it is. at first i thought it was my friends playing a trick on me, but then the letters actually started getting serious."

cheryl clenched her jaw. "well, it seems that you have an admirer."

toni chuckled. "i guess so. whoever this person is must pay really close attention to me though - kinda creepy, but nice nonetheless."

cheryl nodded, hearing _bombshell_ talk to her about how it was actually _them_ who payed extra attention to toni. deeming her special because she is one of a kind and no one deserves her in the world. no one but _bombshell._

and therein lies the catch...

_"we have to save toni, cheryl." bombshell_ pushed her forward, and cheryl stumbled. _"now!"_

toni saw cheryl struggle to stay upright on the slippery rocks, so she reached an arm out to balance cheryl. the note fell out of her hand, the wet rocks staining it but toni didn't care as she gave the girl a soft small smile while doing so and cheryl froze. it was the prettiest thing ever - well, toni always smiled at her - but this, with the moonlight reflecting off her perfect pearly white teeth. her brown eyes shining with something cheryl _bombshell_ can't decipher. it makes cheryl _bombshell_ feel warm and fuzzy inside, her stomach doing somersaults as she just now registers the strong grip toni has on her forearms.

_"god, she's so gorgeous." bombshell_ gaped like she couldn't control herself. _"save her, now!"_

"toni?" cheryl whispered her name. "i-i-.."

_bombshell, what am i supposed to do?!_

the swirls of emotion cheryl saw there made her breath hitch - desire and want. they both knew it was coming. and it's the perfect opportunity to do so. toni's shy look before she pulled cheryl closer by the arms slowly, inexorably until their lips met. cheryl let out a small gasp, the soft plush of toni's warm chapped lips enveloping her own in a soft caress of warmth that fills cheryl up, spilling out from her heart and rushing to every corner of her body. it's better than what cheryl could've imagined as she sinks into toni's lips to return the favor before the girl pulls back in a breathless delight.

"you sometimes amaze me cheryl blossom."

_im amazing._ cheryl reiterates like her mind isn't processing this shared information, though she suspects it's still stuck on the kiss toni just delivered.

because _holy hell!_ toni just gave her the sweetest kiss ever, and cheryl is silently jumping with rejoice. the girl she's loved since junior year had kissed her. _kissed me._

_"kissed us." bombshell_ states with a firm nod.

suddenly, cheryl is reminded of the other _presence_ and she effectively shakes out of toni's grip - immediately missing her hold - as she looks behind the girl to see _bombshell_ watching them with crossed arms. a pure look of _jealousy_ on her face.

cheryl's face washes over in worry. _bombshell_ could be seen!

toni takes in cheryl's face - the worry - and she immediately starts to feel bad, like she's done something wrong although it felt so right. and she's cursing herself for once again overstepping the boundaries on just a completely _platonic friendship._

but cheryl isn't looking at her face, so it isn't the worry that's gripping the redhead.. toni notes. it's angst. like she could physically go ill at any moment now.

"cher-.." toni starts, turning her head.

but cheryl is quick to react, using her own hands to grip toni's shoulders and preventing her from turning around.

_"nicely done, cheryl." bombshell_ nods in approval. _"you've got her right where i need her."_

and the i in the situation is complete irony because it's truly cheryl's doing - she's like a puppet on a string for _bombshell._

there are times cheryl feels she's a little in over her head. her words and actions are divergent - pulling her in the opposite directions as if her brains _narrator_ and _navigator_ have entirely different ideas about the world. it seemed as if _bombshell_ kept pushing her towards toni, having kept urging cheryl to do something.. but she just didn't know what to do. cheryl talks the talk of the valiant protector, yet when push comes to shove she's on her own.

_bombshell, tell me what to do!_

_"ugh! you're so fucking useless. why must i have to do every freaking thing?!"_

there was a coldness that washed down cheryl's back, a familiar one but this time she felt detached.. as if she were watching herself through a window. and somehow, cheryl had taken a backseat in her own body.

she watched with wide eyes as _bombshell_ lunges forward, black handkerchief in her hand that she forced into toni's face. she saw toni struggle for a bit, eyebrows furrowed and eyes wide as she grunted and groaned against the hand over her nose and mouth.

fear started to form in cheryl's belly as a shiver ran down her back, and she started to revert back into her normal self but the voice of _bombshell_ pushed her back out.

_"don't fight me, toni." bombshell_ demanded.

cheryl's heartbeat pounded in her ears, watching as toni's eyes grew heavy and she seemed to loose her footing. she could see that as much as toni didn't want to give into the darkness, she knew there was no other option. soon after, her eyes closed completely and her body fell back into _bombshell's._

a wave of nausea hit cheryl, acid filling her throat as toni's extremely light body slumped into her. and all the air fell from cheryl's lungs as she looked over toni's passed out body for a short moment.

"what did you do?!" she screamed. "what did you do to toni?!"

but there was no voice, no bright light shining above their heads and cheryl found herself alone - in the dark, surrounded by trees and the rushing of water soaking her clothes - with toni's unconscious body in her lap and the handkerchief _bombshell_ used.. in _her hand._

**-**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> taking a break from awl thee stahrz, for a moment to bring this fic to life.. 
> 
> ... how are you liking it so far?


End file.
